Door opening and closing mechanism.



"B. s. APPLETON.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM.

ABPLIQATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1,0 5, 57,. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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. i BURM S,- AlPLE Q QF E DY, H A- DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MEGI-IANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed May 16, 1913. Serial No. 768,120.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, BURM S. ArPLn'roN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Eddy, in the county of Kay,State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDoor Opening and Closing Mechanism; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to door opening and closing mechanism, and itmore particularly relates to appliances for opening and closing cellardoors.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and easily operateddevice whereby a cellar door may be instantly opened by means of a footlever or. pedal.

Another object is to provide an improved combination door holding anddoor closing device.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide devices of this characterwhich may be applied to inclined or horizontal cellar doors of ordinaryconstruction.

Another object is to provide devices for the foregoing purposes, whichare simple of construction, comparatively inexpensive, durable, andthoroughly eflicient.

Other objects and advantages may be recited hereinafter and in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification:Figure 1 is a top plan view 'of the cellar door fitted with my improvedclosing and openingde. vices. Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of thedoor and its adjuncts in closed position. Fig. 3 is a View similartoFig. 2 except that the door is in its open position. Fig. 4: is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 except thatthe door is in its closing position. Fig. 5is a side elevation view, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective View ofthe bracket and opener spring.

Referring to these drawings, in which similar reference characterscorrespond with similar parts, throughout the several views: The door 10and door frame 11 are of ordinary construction, and will not bedescribed in detail further than to mention that the door is mounted onhinges 12 and.

adapted to be swung through an angle of approximately ninety degrees. Onthe central portion of the door is mounted a bracket 13 in which ismounted a sheave door frame.

wheel 14, the axis of said wheel being parallel with the axis on whichthe door swings.

Adjacent to the door hinges and substantially parallel therewith ismounted a beam or support 15 which is stationary with the Upon this beamis mounted a bracket 16 which is substantially U-shaped, having astandard 17 at each end, said standards supporting a pivot or bolt 18around which is coiled a spring 19. One of the standards is providedwith a horizontal extension or lug 20 which serves as a keeper for oneend portion of the spring, and beyond this keeper is an extension 21which engages with a lever 22, pivoted at 23 to a bracket 24, saidbracket being mounted upon the beam 15. The other end portion 25 isseated in the peripheral groove of the wheel 14: and exerts an upwardpressure against 1 the wheel. This pressure, however, is not sufficientto raise the cellar door so long as the lever 22 is in its normalelevated position; but when the free end of the lever is pressed down,it carries the extension 21 downward, so as to increase the pressure ofthe spring element 25 sufficiently to start the door upward; it beingunderstood that the helical coil of the spring is pivotally mounted onthe bolt 18. Having thus started the door, it will be seen that thepressure upon the element 25 clecreases as the door approaches thevertical plane in which it finally rests, and moreover, the door havingbeen started, its own momentum also operates to offset the decreasingpressure of the spring. iVhen the door has reached its opened position,it is engaged and held by means of the latch member 26, which is pivotedat 27 to a standard 28, said standard being slotted or bifurcated at 29for receiving the combined holder and closer between the furcationsthereof. This holder and closer member includes the latch 26, theoperating arm 28 and the closer arm 29 This holder and closer member maybe formed in any proper way or from any suit-able material, but in thepresent disclosure, it is formed from a length of heavy wire or rod,bent upon itself at 30 and formed into a coil or bearing at 31, whilethe closer arm 29 depends from the coil 31, and the arm 28 extendsupward from the element 30. The lower end of the closer member is curvedor looped so as to avoid undue wear and mutilation of the door, and toobtain the smoothest and easiest possible closing operation.

In operation, the person wishing to open the door places one foot uponthe end of the pedal or lever 2:2 and bears it down, thereby actuatingthe spring 19 and instantly opening the door, as previously described.Then the door contacts with the inclined lower surface of the latch, itraises the latch, and the latter falls into its operative position inwhich it holds the door securely in its open position. The pedal 22having now been raised to its normal position, the door may now bequickly closed by pressing the handle or operating arm 28 laterally anddownward toward the pedal. This movement of the handle swings the closermember 29 into contact with the door, and by continuing to press uponthe handle, the momentum of the door overcomes the pres sure of thespring 19 until the door has reached its normal closed position, and nowthe full weight of the door is exerted for holding the spring element 25down.

It will be seen that while I have provided a mechanism for quickly andeasily opening and closing a door, I have also provided a cushioningmeans or resilient retarding means whereby the door is prevented fromslamming when it is closed.

It will be seen that I have provided a mechanism of this character,which is fully capable of attaining the foregoing objects, in athoroughly practical and eflicient man ner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts, as herewith illustrated anddescribed, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonableinterpretation of the claims.

I claim 1. In combination with a hingedly mounted cellar door, a supportadjacent to the hinges of the door, a sheave wheel mounted on the door,a pedal pivotally mounted on.

the support, a spring pivotally mounted on the support and having oneend portion engaged with the sheave wheel, the other end portion of thespring being engaged with said pedal, so that when the pedal is pressedthe door is opened, and means for engaging the door and holding it inopen position.

2. In combination with a hingedly mounted cellar door, a supportadjacent to the hinges of the door, a sheave wheel mounted on the door,a pedal pivotally mounted on the support, and a spring pivotally mountedon the support ancl'having one end portion engaged with the sheavewheel, the other end portion of the spring being engaged with saidpedal, so that when the pedal pressed the door is opened.

3. A door opening and holding and closing appliance consisting of asupport adjacent to the door hinges, a spring member consisting ofahelical coil pivotally mounted on said support and having an extensionengaged with an element on the door, a

pedal pivotally mounted on the support and engaged with an extension ofsaid spring, a standard on the support, and a combined holding andclosing member pivotally mounted on the standard and adapted to engagewith the door when it has been opened, said door holding and closingmember also being provided with ahandle and with a clo-serarm whichlatter is adapted to be swung into forceful contact with the door and toforce it into closed position against the resistance of the springmember.

4. A door opening and holding and closing appliance consisting of asupport adjacent to the door hinges, a pedal pivotally mounted on thesupport, a standard on the.

BUR-M. S. APPLETON Witnesses: r

F. C. E. LETTAN, 'SAML. GONGRAM.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

